US Plans to Provide $20 Million in Defense Assistance to Georgia - Pentagon

The United States is considering to allocate an additional $20 million in defense assistance to Georgia, the US Department of Defense announced in a release on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The announcement came after US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter met with Georgian Minister of Defense Tinatin Khidasheli in Washington, DC earlier in the day.

"The leaders reviewed ongoing US security assistance to Georgia's armed forces, including plans for the $20 million in additional funding in 2015 through the European Reassurance Initiative."

Carter explained in the release that the United States is committed to continue defense cooperation with Georgia, including via bilateral and multilateral exercises and training.

He noted that the United States, together with its allies, remains committed to "supporting Georgia through the NATO-Georgia Commission and the Substantial NATO-Georgia package agreed at the 2014 Wales Summit."

Tuesday’s meeting was a first between Carter and Khidasheli to discuss bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries.